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Sales/account representative skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.,

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Sales/account representative example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical sales/account representative skills. We ranked the top skills for sales/account representatives based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.7% of sales/account representative resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a sales/account representative needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 sales/account representative skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how sales/account representatives use customer service:

Provided superior customer service for all personally secured clients and achieved exemplary CRM evidenced by strong repeat business.
Maintained correspondence with distributors, engineers and IT, ensuring product integrity and optimum customer services.

2. CRM

CRM stands for Customer relationship management and it is a complete process through which a business or organization monitors and administers its interactions with the customers. A process in which large amounts of data are collected through marketing via a company's website, polls, surveys, and other social media applications. The basic goal of CRM is to target the right audience for their product, and then fulfill their needs, to increase the sales and revenue of the company.

Here's how sales/account representatives use crm:

Implemented and facilitated account changes and requirements; Performed appropriate account activities and duties within CRM.
Utilized AdTaker CRM and production software tools to monitor and report sales performance.

3. Sales Process

Here's how sales/account representatives use sales process:

Participated in continuing education opportunities with intent to increase qualified customer contacts, enhance relationships and advance sales process.
Created and executed innovative sales processes and protocols to apply standardized methods and ensure positive outcomes.

4. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how sales/account representatives use product knowledge:

Demonstrated and provided product knowledge to customers on company products.
Increased business through dedicated customer service and working product knowledge.

5. Sales Strategies

Here's how sales/account representatives use sales strategies:

Developed operating and sales strategies in territory to increase market potential.
Developed and implemented sales strategies and presentations.

6. Sales Techniques

Here's how sales/account representatives use sales techniques:

Leveraged sales techniques including direct business-to-business selling and prospecting to develop and close new business.
Coached team on sales techniques and closing business, providing continuous improvement within organization.

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7. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how sales/account representatives use business development:

Managed commission and incentive contractual budgets to identify ROI using business development and marketing plans.
Lead business development diversification into new markets totaling $6.2 million in incremental sales.

8. Work Ethic

Here's how sales/account representatives use work ethic:

Maintained a strong work ethic with a total commitment to the agency success.
Use of strong attention skills for detailed work ethic.

9. Indirect Sales

Here's how sales/account representatives use indirect sales:

Developed the first Indirect Sales Channel Program for national deployment through our Corporate Headquarters.
Conducted B2B sales and indirect sales via a network of distributors.

10. Sales Support

Sales support refers to a variety of functions that help sales reps focus on selling and closing deals. Sales support performs a variety of tasks that result in faster sales cycles, lower costs, and higher revenue. Sales support tasks include interviewing and tracking sales leads, matching offers to sales packages, monitoring sales and sales team performance, collecting sales data, providing training and customer service, and managing customers.

Here's how sales/account representatives use sales support:

Provided administrative sales support for new business pursuits and current business accounts for several Sales Managers.
Provided sales support to field representatives, including appointment management, follow-up and prospecting.

11. Account Management

The process of strengthening the relationship between a company and client is called account management. Effective account management has two key objectives, one is to retain loyal customers and the second one is to help the company grow by creating connections with new customers.

Here's how sales/account representatives use account management:

Establish and drive local territory account management consistent with Johnson Controls North America and regional strategic direction.
Experienced at total account management including selling-in corporate programs & conducing corporate brand promotions.

12. Enterprise Resource Planning

Here's how sales/account representatives use enterprise resource planning:

Developed enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors such as People Soft, J.D.

13. Sales Revenue

Here's how sales/account representatives use sales revenue:

Generated sales revenue of over $600,000, which led to growth of over 200% in first half of 1996
Identified sales opportunities and secured sales revenue lift that contributed to the customer's commitment during the contracting event.

14. Excellent Interpersonal

Here's how sales/account representatives use excellent interpersonal:

Organized and committed to reaching goals, demonstrate strong closing skills, excellent interpersonal communication skill.

15. Business Relationships

Here's how sales/account representatives use business relationships:

Identified and secured new corporate accounts by cold calling, making presentations and developing key business relationships.
Established, developed and maintained strong business relationships with existing and potential customers in the assigned territory.

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What skills help Sales/Account Representatives find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on sales/account representative resumes?

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.

Director, Western Oregon University

The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.

Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.

What soft skills should all sales/account representatives possess?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.

What hard/technical skills are most important for sales/account representatives?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?

What sales/account representative skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

What type of skills will young sales/account representatives need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

What technical skills for a sales/account representative stand out to employers?

Todd Lee Goen

Instructor & Internship Director, Christopher Newport University

Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.

Do you want to know more?

List of sales/account representative skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a sales/account representative resume and required skills for a sales/account representative to have include:

Customer Service
CRM
Sales Process
Product Knowledge
Sales Strategies
Sales Techniques
Business Development
Work Ethic
Indirect Sales
Sales Support
Account Management
Enterprise Resource Planning
Sales Revenue
Excellent Interpersonal
Business Relationships
Post Sales

Excellent Time Management
Brand Awareness
Relationship Building
Cold Calls
Sales Presentations
Customer Relations
Sales Territory
Sales Objectives
Trade Shows
Lead Generation
Sales Targets
Product Sales
Develop Sales Strategies
Store Management
Retail Store
Sales Quota

Product Demonstrations
Customer Accounts
Business Sales
Sales Growth
Product Line
Customer Support
Customer Orders
Service Agreements
Local Businesses
Outbound Calls
Customer Satisfaction
Professional Selling
Client Relationships
Sales Reports

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Sales/Account Representative Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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